Tenuously adequate
Boris Johnson began by describing his morning: “I was at the nuclear fusion labs in Culham.” Please say a freak accident befell you there, causing you to emerge, if not with superpowers, then at least as tenuously adequate.
(The Guardian.)
Does if not with superpowers, then at least as tenuously adequate (in the author's sarcastic comment, as I understand it) mean "...if not with superpowers, then with something short of those superpowers"?
Top answer
The author apparently doesn't think much of Johnson, implying here that Johnson doesn't have even tenuously adequate abilities, that is, his abilities are (way) below adequate.
- The author apparently doesn't think much of Johnson, implying here that Johnson doesn't have even tenuously adequate abilities, that is, his abilities are (way) below adequate.
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The author apparently doesn't think much of Johnson, implying here that Johnson doesn't have even tenuously adequate abilities, that is, his abilities are (way) below adequate.
0tkacka15"...if not with superpowers, then with something short of those superpowers"
Yes, that's the idea.
It's speculation about how Johnson might change if he were involved in a nuclear accident (along the lines of science fiction movies).
Would such an accident have enough power to cause him to emerge with superpowers? No? Then dare we hope
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